Meeting Public Comments

Subcommittee meeting and times are as follows:
A bill for an act relating to education, including requiring the boards of directors of school districts to publish certain specified information and modifying provisions related to required social studies instruction.(Formerly HSB 706; See HF 2577.)
Subcommittee members: Thompson-CH, Brink, Ehlert
Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: House Lounge
Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.
Comments Submitted:

03-22-2022
Julie Zaugg [citizen, retired teacher]
It is hard to understand why a bill about transparency in education, that was first introduced to the education committee, is now being debated in the appropriations committee. The majority of what this bill asks for is already being done, which makes this bill frivolous and repetitious. The first section of HF 2499 concerns syllabus which are already published by schools in student handbooks and/or online to help students decide what classes to take. The section asking for a description of how classes meet educational standards was met several years ago by every teacher at every level. These were commenced at workshops led by AEA staff and completed during professional development time.The section asking for a list of all books, articles, handouts, websites and so on to be published by August 23 and January 15 each year is an impossible task. There is no way to know in advance what types of handouts, graphic organizers or outlines will be most effective with the incoming class, and what content will need retaught in different ways to help all succeed. How many teachable moments will be lost when a student wants more information, but I can't offer them something that was not preapproved? In addition, is there software available to make these items sortable by class, grade and teacher? The section on social studies is a case of micromanagement. Did it really need to be put into code that the U.S. Constitution should be taught in government class? This is already a standard set forth by the Department of Education as is much of what is listed in the bill.There is little that is new or necessary about this HF2499 and none of it has to do with appropriations.
03-23-2022
Pam Gronau []
I appreciate the efforts of this bill as it has become increasingly important for parents to know what materials are being used in the classroom. I would like to see something stronger in terms of the books being used in both the classroom and in the school libraries. There is a reconsideration process already in place but it is failing. We can already appeal to the Board of Education but the process is very lengthy and to be honest, there is little faith that they will do the right thing when we have seen the government oversight committee hearing regarding the concerns with the BOEE. Many of the books parents are opposing contain pornography. It is against the law for anyone to provide pornography to children. If anything, schools should be held to a higher standard. There is no excuse for allowing these books to remain in our schools. Please take a tough stand on the books being provided to our children!
03-23-2022
LeAnne Getz []
Regarding the pornographic and obscene books, I hope these will be removed from our schools. We deem movies inappropriate for children based on one word or one scene. These books are far worse. Teachers and librarians should not be providing books that contain a father detailing they mechanics and feelings of raping his daughter, a graphic comic book picture of a child performing oral sex on an adult male relative, and many nude and sexually arousing pictures. Parents cannot provide porn to their children. Why can teachers? Porn is covered in stores. Why is it available in schools? Please make this illegal.
03-23-2022
Mandy Gilbert [Concerned parent against children exposed to porn]
Please support this bill to provide greater transparency across Iowa schools. Our district recently made changes to their notification policy to parents about books selected in class instruction. This change happened after a book reconsideration process took place that revealed books being selected by teachers that are obscene and divisive as defined by law (except schools interpret they have a pass to distribute obscene material). Teachers indicated this was NOT difficult to send an email to parents about books being used in class prior to instruction. This process allows parents to be better engaged in their students learning and hold educators accountable for material being taught. This should take place for all schools across Iowa through this bill, as education is a partnership with parents. Unfortunately, educators still decide to select obscene material for reading. So obscene that as the Governor said in her address, they would be X rated if made into a movie. No one seems to care about students affected by sexual abuse being in a school environment, being asked by a trusted adult to read about horrible, graphic detail of rape, incest and pedophilia. Please continue efforts to protect children from pornography and having age appropriate books accessible at school. Thank you for protecting children.
Attachment
03-23-2022
Courtney Collier [Concerned parent ]
We need this bill and others like it to protect parental rights in the education of our children. School districts should have clear and strict policies as to what books are appropriate for instruction and class library. It is clear from the books that have been discovered some of which have been in schools for over a decade, that the previous processes are not working. Parents should be informed of each and every book that will be read or provided to their child while at school. Parents should have access to all materials used in their childs instruction. There should be no books that contain pornography and or obscenity. Parents are the legal guardians of their children not the school, not the school district, not the teachers, not the teachers union, not the special interest lobbyist groups. We should be partners and collaborate with the school districts and the school districts should ask for and welcome our input. We need the state Board of Education to make it easy with a click of a button to file a grievance. We need them to also have policies in place that protect parents rights in the education of their children. The last two years have been a crash course in the realization that public education has been infiltrated by teachers unions which are controlled by a political party and are running rampant with their agenda in our public schools. This must end. Books such as this should have no place in classroom instruction or school libraries where MINOR aged children can access this harmful content without parent consent or knowledge. https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/QuotesPartTimeIndian.pdf?token=AWxlMYGpgOsAugMee7EQGP7POkhrq94p0ZQIn4wgGfCp3TgwR7Okje4thlnZ5hAjikiKXr13Ojsl2RHO6tvVki9XinkaHHhgSx8vTXHX4aO0eiPsC4lZ3GW8GQtMFtjF7fQZrqzVvANWenxVrwDIyZBGkIV43A41c8Sga4qHHIAuIhx5TuCUTvgHS45VwTrLLHgzc6ogydnbKyG3F0yOmrEwK29INPoc6dqC70G2zVYAkheIlO6jTEg8c0nSw
03-23-2022
Terese Grant []
This bill is so unnecessary. As a former teacher who taught in Iowa for nearly 40 years, this type of requirement to "publish" information required in social studies instruction is just an added burden to teachers. Social studies and all teachers have a syllabus for their class that is available to anyone who simply asks. This is not complicated. But asking teachers to do this type of extra work is simply not necessary. Parents are welcome to talk to teachers in person or via email if they have questions. Laws like this are punitive.
03-23-2022
Samantha Fett []
Transparency is important in our school districts. We need to continue to make sure parents can have access to what is being taught in schools. I understand that many believe that we already have access, but as a recent school board member in a rural district, I can say that the process as it currently stands does not work. It is inconsistent, and with the recent attention from parents questioning certain books in our schools, The reconsideration process is outdated and districts are unwilling to improve or change them. This bill does some good things, however it needs more meat in it for accountability. I do support this bill and have also attached two files that layout to recent book so I havent found in school libraries across the state of Iowa.
Attachment
03-23-2022
Courtney Collier [Concerned parent ]
This bill needs to include penalties for schools who dont follow this law. We have seen that unless there are teeth in the bill in the way of penalties the school district has no incentive to follow. This would also make it so parents have a course of action if the district doesnt abide by the law.
03-23-2022
Patty SeregAlexander []
We need stricter and stronger laws to help vet these pornographic books found in our schools. Teachers, administrators and superintendents claim that these books have literary merit. Therefore they get to ignore the Iowa Code 728 that defines obscenity. The reconsideration committees just ignore the Iowa code as well. School board policy follows suit of the laws. Bills that require transparency, parental rights and strong definitions of pornography are needed!
03-23-2022
Jennifer Turner [Gilcrest Jewett Lumber]
This bill is one of the most important. If anyone believes there is not a problem in our schools, they are not paying attention. Thank you for keeping this bill relevant. Save our children.
03-23-2022
Michelle Veach [Concerned Parent]
Parents need to know what our kids are being taught. Schools must (unfortunately) be held to a higher authority to provide curriculum and to be required to change that curriculum if it teaches CRT, woke enlightened history, or is historically incorrect. Schools will not proactively offer this info and so parents cannot work with teachers, but instead are in an adversarial position. Please restore parental power and give us the information we need to endure our children receive the education they need to become productive citizens in the USA.